1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved communication system and, in particular to an improved computer implemented method, system, and computer program product for triggering a communication system to manage automatic replies to electronic communications received for a user through a communication addressed to the user received by the communication system, such that the communication system is triggered to provide automatic replies to communications addressed to a user without the user having to log in to a user account at the communication system to trigger the automatic replies.
2. Description of the Related Art
Both businesses and individuals rely on network based communications, such as electronic mail messaging, text messaging, voice messaging, and instant messaging, as the key medium for communication. Communication services continue to try to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of communications between users.
One example of a service provided to improve efficiency and effectiveness of communications is an automatic reply service. A user logged into a communication account with a communication service provider may trigger the automatic reply service to automatically generate and send a reply communication to communications received for the user. By enabling a user to trigger an automatic reply (auto-reply) service when logged into a communication account, when a user is not available to accept communications, those attempting to contact the user receive an automatic reply communication letting them know the user is not available.
While an automatic reply service is useful, a limitation of current automatic reply services provided by communication service providers, is that the user still has to access the user account with the communication service provider to trigger the automatic reply service. In many scenarios, however, a user is not able to reply to electronic communications and is also not able to access or log into the user's account with the communication service provider to trigger the automatic reply service. For example, if a user has a medical emergency, the user may be isolated from accessing the user account with the communication service provider and therefore the user cannot reply to received communications at the user account and also cannot trigger the auto-reply feature to let senders know that the user cannot reply to communications because of an emergency. Where a user does not quickly reply to a communication from an authority, a customer, or other person and the user cannot set an auto-reply feature to automatically reply to these communications and indicate an emergency, the lack of reply communication could result in loss of business or other detrimental results.
In such an emergency situation, while a user could contact someone who could log into the user's account, the user would have to provide that other person with the user's password. For many users this option of sharing a password with another person is not acceptable because the user should not provide another person with access to the user's inbox of all other emails or the user could be penalized for causing a security breach by sharing the password.
Further, in an emergency situation, a user may contact a business colleague and request that the business colleague send a communication within the company, from the colleague's account, notifying others of the user's lack of availability, but the business colleague may not have the same third party, or even company based communication addresses accessible, that the user would have through the user's communication account, thus leaving some still uninformed of the user's reasons for lack of availability.